Entering their 2023 Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics, it seemed like the stars were aligning for Caleb Martin, the undrafted forward out of Nevada, to have a big series. The Miami Heat were unable to keep ahold of PJ Tucker this past offseason, gutting their forward depth, which meant that Martin would have to come up huge for them to have a chance at keeping up with the Celtics' star duo on the wing.

And come up huge, Martin certainly did.

After averaging just 9.6 points in the regular season, Caleb Martin proceeded to score 10 more on average against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, proving to be a thorn the Celtics couldn't figure out a way to deal with. In Game 7, the biggest game of Martin's career thus far, the unheralded forward scored 26 points on 11-16 shooting from the field, setting himself up for a huge payday when he hits the open market in 2024.

But against the Denver Nuggets, Caleb Martin may not have the same offensive leeway that he did against the Celtics.

First of all, there were plenty of stretches where Martin took advantage of his matchup against Robert Williams III. Martin, in fact, took the Williams assignment personally, honing his three-ball to make the Celtics pay. Of course, Martin also did a lot of damage against other matchups, but it's hard to envision him getting the same space offensively given how dialed in the Nuggets' defense has been this postseason.

In particular, the Nuggets had already dealt with four elite perimeter scorers in their run to the NBA Finals (Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and LeBron James). With their wing personnel of Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets have a plethora of options to throw at Caleb Martin, who, after his stellar play vs. the Celtics, will draw much more defensive attention.

Thus, given the matchup at hand, Martin may not be the Heat's ultimate X-factor. Rather, this veteran big man may have a huge part to play in finishing the Heat's Cinderella story.

Heat’s biggest X-factor vs. Nuggets: Kevin Love

Anyone up for some role reversal?

The Heat began the 2023 ECF by starting veteran forward Kevin Love. They re-inserted Love into the starting lineup in Game 3 of their first-round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, and they did not look back, as they rolled into the ECF even with the 34-year old being past his prime.

In the end, however, with the Heat on the ropes after the Celtics woke up and stormed back from a 3-0 series deficit, head coach Erik Spoelstra buried Love on the bench, and for good reason. Love hadn't even played more than 16 minutes and 47 seconds in a game against the Celtics, thanks to his lack of defensive impact and, due to Caleb Martin's breakout, lacking offensive production.

As a result, Kevin Love didn't even get off the bench for a single minute over the last two games of the series, with Martin head and shoulders being the better player than the 2016 NBA champion at the moment.

However, matchups play a huge role in the playoffs, and Love could very well emerge from the depths of the Heat bench to provide some value.

Given how well Caleb Martin has played, it's difficult to envision the Heat coaching staff straying away from him in their starting unit. It makes sense too, since Martin matches up well with the likes of Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. He could even fill the “Rui Hachimura” role, with him taking on Nikola Jokic defensive duties to give Bam Adebayo the ability to roam as a weakside defender.

However, Jokic should prove to be too overwhelming for Martin defensively. Jokic's brute strength in the post combined with his ability to see the floor like one of the greatest point guards of all time would make Martin “barbecue chicken” on the post.

That's where Kevin Love comes in.

Love, for all of his defensive faults, is a stout post defender. Love's lower body strength should prevent Nikola Jokic from finding it easy to maneuver his way on the block. And Love's willingness to put his body on the line on charges should make him an annoying defensive presence against the Nuggets' whirring offensive system. Defending pick-and-pops and the Jamal Murray-Jokic two-man game will be a frightening prospect for Love, but the veteran big man's smarts should allow him to hold his own, even just for spurts.

When Jokic is on the bench, Jeff Green usually acts as the Nuggets' de facto center. That is also a matchup which Kevin Love and the Heat could exploit. Green is shooting a frigid 27.9 percent from beyond the arc, so it's not like Love will be extremely vulnerable to pick-and-pops, while Love's rebounding ability could make the Nuggets pay for going small.

If the series goes the distance, the Heat may very well decide to mothball Love once more. But for them to keep up with the Nuggets' elite play thus far in the playoffs, the 2016 NBA champion will have to come up huge. And given the matchup, all the stars may be aligning for him to do so.